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Practical Plans to Help Afghanis
Written by Marilyn Angelucci, UPF-Afghanistan
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
The following points come from relating with the local people and local families, listening to their stories and their struggles.
The people hope that the new strategy of US President Barack Obama and the international community can bring a new, effective policy for the benefit of the Afghan people. The only ones who are benefiting from the old policy are those who are corrupt. The middle class and the poor people have no chance to develop. They only become more and more poor, affected by the continuous increases in prices and lacking any opportunities for adequate jobs.
In Afghanistan a new strategy is needed that focuses on the middle class and the poor class. Opportunities are needed to learn skills in their areas of interest, especially for people living in the countryside. Most Afghanis cannot spend 12 years going to school to get a degree; they need to learn some skill that will help them now. Also, most Afghanis cannot move to the big cities in order to learn a skill. So technical and professional training schools are needed. Expert teachers are needed who can help Afghanis learn actual skills, not just theories on papers.
We need volunteers. Most of the foreign advisors come to the country, draw a huge salary, and compile a big file of instructions that most Afghanis cannot understand. Their work doesn't help the local people at all.
There are a lot of things to do. The international community should also monitor all the donations so they are not lost in the corrupted system. Donors should check to see that the work is done properly; otherwise, funding should be stopped and given to another organization that can do the work.
I believe that things can change, but the change that is needed is a change in strategy. We cannot continue doing things the same way.
Not only the way the war is fought should be changed but, most of all, we need to support the local people so they can get jobs, get skills, and get the money they need to survive. If they find solutions for their families, they will not take part in the fighting just because of the need of money.
Another important point is that the international community should help all the Afghan governmental institutions to make clear plans so the Afghanis can understand and get involved with the spirit of the nation. So far no one knows what the plans are for their country, their region, or their city.
Most of the leaders who are in position now don't have any clear plan and don't share anything with the people, so the people don't know what to expect. Because of the lack of communication from the leaders, there is no participation on the part of the citizens and no interest in rebuilding their country. Every leader in a key position should have a clear plan and share it with the citizens; then, if they don't fulfill that plan they should be out of their post.
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